Jazz
“Animative”, the third album Josh Johnson has put out under his own name, is released this Friday, 23 October, on International Anthem and Nonesuch. It is his first for either label.
There are ten tracks, and Johnson does not only play saxophone on them: he also handles synthesizer, sampler, piano, Rhodes, percussion, bass clarinet, guitar and a drum synthesizer. He co-produced the record with Paul Bryan, who also plays bass on “Close”, and Dave Cooley mastered it.
The thinking behind it is his own: “I’m really interested in putting the saxophone in a different role besides soloist.” Among the guests, the bass on “High Step” is Meshell Ndegeocello’s; the trumpet on “Upstairs 2021” is Marquis Hill’s and the violin on “It Can Be Everywhere” Macie Stewart’s. Drums are split between Ben Lumsdaine (“Reece” and “High Step”), Marlon Patton (“Close”) and Brandon Combs (“High Step”).
As for the title, Johnson recalls the reaction it got: “I said the name to a few people, and they were like, ‘Animated is not how I would describe you.’”
Text by Aina Torrents